Southwestern Quinoa

Southwestern Quinoa you ask? Sure, why not?! Anaheim green chilies are really plentiful in Tucson this time of year, and you can usually purchase them by the box or burlap bag at many of the markets. If you’re really fortunate, you’ll find a temporary roasting station set up outside, that will do the roasting for you, which will save a lot of time. Many Tucsonans take advantage of this seasonal market (coming from New Mexico) to package and freeze the chilies for future use.

So I find myself making many dishes involving green chilies, but wanted to create something unique as well as healthy. I decided to blend the flavors I would normally add to Spanish rice, but using quinoa instead. The result was a really tasty, healthy, and satisfying dish.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked quinoa (see below for instructions)

1 large onion, diced

5 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, and roughly chopped

1 large tomato, diced

1 – 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

1 teaspoon cumin

3/4 teaspoon oregano

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper

a little oil for frying pan

Directions:

Heat a large skillet with a little oil, add the onions until lightly browned, add the garlic, green chilies, and chicken, and heat through. Add the seasonings, tomatoes, and quinoa, and remove from the heat. Serve hot.

Garnish with shredded cheese if desired.

Recipe Notes:

Other toppings could include sour cream, salsa, or green onions.

Serve with warm corn bread.

How to cook quinoa:

Cooking quinoa is similar to cooking rice, only I use a 1:1.5 ratio, that is 1 part quinoa, 1.5 parts water or broth.

Start by rinsing the quinoa in a strainer, then add to a saucepan with the liquid. I add a little bit of oil or butter, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook 15 minutes, remove the lid, and remove from the heat. Fluff with a fork as you would rice.